BANGI, April 25 ― Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar dismissed today allegations of nepotism against him, saying the firearms company run by his daughter had obtained its arms licence long before he was made the national police chief.

The IGP added that he has also objected to the award of any government tenders or police contracts for arms to any of his family members.

“They had the licence to operate and repair guns and weapons long before I became IGP,” he told reporters after a function at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia today.

“I also have objected them from obtaining any government tender or police tender. There's is no such thing of them obtaining government tenders.

“If there was it would have surely been published by Sarawak Report now,” he said referring to whistleblower Sarawak Report who reported on the issue last week.

The police chief however did not want to comment further on the matter, saying any comments would be interpreted as him taking the company’s side.

SR showed in its report last Friday a purported screen capture of the company records for Nilai Arms & Ammunitions that shows the majority of shares belonging to someone named Juwiza Khalid, while the minority shares are held by a man named Mohd Isa Hussin that the news portal claimed was Khalid’s brother-in-law.

According to Nilai Arms & Ammunitions’ website, the company is based in Nilai, Negri Sembilan.

Gun ownership is strictly regulated in Malaysia. Section 4(1) of the Arms Act 1960 states that applications for a firearms licence or permit must be made to the chief police officer of the state in which the applicant resides.